In modern times, where information processing technology and information communications technology are highly developed, information devices such as personal computers and mobile information terminals are ubiquitous in the actual world such as offices and households. In such an environment, the realization of “ubiquitous computing” where desired information can be obtained anytime and anywhere by inter-connecting devices is anticipated.
The concept of ubiquitous computing is that the available computer environment is the same wherever people move to. In other words, since it is “anytime and anywhere,” the ultimate ubiquitous computing does not necessarily require information terminals such as computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones and the like, necessarily.
However, when one tries to specify a computer or peripheral device which is to be a data transmission destination (in other words, a target) in a network, or when one tries to obtain information related to an object in the actual world, even if it is a partner that is right in front, there is a need to know the name thereof (or resource identification information, such as an ID, network address, host name, URL (Uniform Resource Locator), that is unique to the device). In other words, with respect to user operations, computers are only coordinated indirectly, and are lacking in intuitiveness.